


Ricks and Wongs

by flibbertygigget



Series: Rick and Wong [1]
Category: Rick and Morty
Genre: Episode: s03e06 Rest and Ricklaxation, Gen, Therapy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-04
Updated: 2017-09-04
Packaged: 2018-12-23 22:38:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11999382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flibbertygigget/pseuds/flibbertygigget
Summary: "Isn't that what you're supposed to do? Fix fucked up people?"Rick has issues in the aftermath of Rest and Ricklaxation. Dr. Wong tries to help.





	Ricks and Wongs

"I think I need some fucking help." Dr. Wong looks up from her paperwork. She doesn't recognise the men standing there. He's tall, with wild grey hair and a sharp gaze that seems to be trying to pick her apart.

"Do you have an appointment?" she asks.

"Don't get smart with the smartest man in the universe. No one's ever gotten a read on me like you did, _no one_ , so please just - I need your help here. Isn't that supposed to be what you do? Fix fucked up people?" Finally, Dr. Wong can place him.

"Ah, Rick Sanchez.You were the one who turned yourself into a pickle, correct?"

"No shit. How many other genius scientists have you done your bullshit on?"

"Not very many," she admits, "though I would hardly call what I do 'bullshit.' After all, you are the one who's seeking me out for a appointment, are you not?" For a moment, Rick looks like he wants to hit her. Instead, he collapses in the chair across from her, pulling a flask from his coat.

"Look, it's not - it's not like I'm looking for a therapist or anything. As far as I'm concerned, you and your entire profession are just a bunch of overpaid crackpots. But I - I was able to outsmart the Federation's machines; my own counterpart couldn't understand me when he was looking into my fucking brain; it took Morty ages to figure out when I was playing him for a fool. But you - you - you look at me for three seconds, and suddenly you think you know me. And you don't, that's bullshit, but you came pretty damn close, closer than anyone in a long time. So I guess..." He takes another swig from his flask. "I guess I just - I just needed someone to tell me that I'm smart, not insane."

"What made you want to come here, Rick?" The old man took a long look at the flask, but instead of drinking from it he tucked it back in his lab coat.

"What does it mean if I like myself better when I'm toxic than when I'm not?" Dr. Wong blinks. She doesn't know what she'd expected him to say, but it wasn't that.

"What do you mean?"

"You ever seen _Star Trek_?" Dr. Wong nods. "Well, long story short, I got into so alien shit and it went full "The Enemy Within" on my ass."

"You mean..."

"Yep. I was divided into my toxic and healthy halves for a week before I figured out how to get myself back together." He pauses. "Well, halves isn't actually all that accurate. If I had to guess, I'd say about 80% of me went into the toxic version. Might explain why healthy me was such a pussy dickhead."

"I see. What exactly was it about your toxic self that you preferred to your healthy self?" For a moment Rick looks horrified.

"Shit, you actually believe me? I thought you'd kick me out when you heard that bullshit."

"Rick, I _was_ here when the Federation was in charge. I've seen stranger things. And besides, even if I did think that what you said was, as you say, 'bullshit,' that wouldn't necessarily mean that I would ignore it. Constructing mental selves is a legitimate therapy technique."

"Ok, whatever, let's go with that," Rick mutters.

"Of course, considering the fact that last time we talked you had turned yourself into a pickle, I am more inclined to believe that you were literally rather than figuratively separated into your toxic and healthy selves," Dr. Wong says. "Not to mention the fact that the world experienced a rather strange half hour a month or so ago, which, if I'm guessing correctly, probably had something to do with your... situation. Now please, continue." Rick stares at the table, apparently deep in thought.

"I guess - I don't know. The healthy version of me was just... just _empty_. All he had was nihilism. He - He was a better person than me, but that's just because he didn't have anything else to work with. Toxic Rick... he had all my bullshit."

"Your bullshit?"

"Don't act stupid to get me to admit something, it won't work. You've met me. You know what I mean."

"I think I have an idea, but I believe that it would be beneficial for you to get this out in the open."

"Bitch, I've _been_ toxic me. How much more 'in the open' can you get?" He sighs. "Look, the point is, _I liked him_. That - That's not right, is it? I mean, Toxic Me was an asshole. He was a narcissistic, manipulative, delusional asshole, but he wasn't - he wasn't evil. Healthy Me was."

"How so?"

"He just - He didn't give a shit. I mean, _I_ don't give a shit, that's how I've lived this long, but he wasn't even capable of giving a shit."

"So your ability to, in your words, 'give a shit' was transferred to your toxic self?"

"Exactly. And the damn machine was right, too. He practically committed suicide 'cause he was so blinded by his own stupidity, but he wouldn't - he wouldn't have had to if Healthy Me hadn't forced him to." Dr. Wong opens her mouth, but Rick's glare makes her shut it again. "And, no, I'm not saying that Healthy Me should've just let the world stay toxic. He's the healthy one, the one with perspective, that's the whole point. But I'm not fucking healthy. I'm allowed to want Toxic Me to have had a chance." He sighs. "You know, Healthy Me claimed that he wasn't able to lie, but he was faking it the whole time. He was never happy. He had all the weight of knowing that the universe is huge and pointless on him, and he didn't even have to toxic comfort of irrational attachments to hold onto. He's what I should want to be, but I just - I can't."

"Rick, you're an intelligent man, so I'm going to be blunt with you," Dr. Wong says. "From what you've told me, your internal dichotomy of right and wrong, toxic and healthy, is fundamentally toxic in and of itself." Dr. Wong pauses. Rick has bristled, but he doesn't say anything. "You tell yourself that the care and love you feel, your ability to give a shit, are toxic, but you still treasure it. You pride yourself for your ability to see the big picture and your nihilism, but you hate it when you see those qualities in others. If you continue as you have been, you will always be unfulfilled, because you have managed to convince yourself that anything that will make you a happier and more fulfilled person will hurt you."

"You don't know a fucking thing about the universe, do you?" Rick snaps. "Look, I won't say that you're wrong, but I am not fucking lying to myself. I'm too smart for that. I've seen shit that would make you break down into an emotional heap. Everyone I've ever given a shit about has left me-"

"Or perhaps you left them?" Rick flinches.

"-or they've died because of me, and you can't fucking twist that to fit your little agenda. I make people's lives worse just by existing, it happens all the time, so why the fuck should I be a selfish dick and-"

"And stay? Tell me, where are you living now?" Rick's mouth snaps shut, and Dr. Wong can tell that this, this is the reason he avoided therapy, this is the reason he came to her office like she could give him salvation. "Rick, why did you come here today? What did you want me to convince you to do?"

"I don't fucking know, you're the therapist. Aren't you supposed to be the one making me healthy?"

"The healthy you would leave your daughter's home, but you don't want that, do you? So you came here, hoping that I would tell you to leave."

"I already told you that I'm not healthy."

"No, you're not," Dr. Wong says. "But I don't believe that your living situation situation changing would be beneficial at this time, for you or for your family." Rick's body visibly slumps in relief.

"Well, then how the fuck am I supposed to - to make them not worse?"

"I may be a bit biased," Dr. Wong says, "but I believe therapy wouldn't be a bad place to start."


End file.
